MUA 2018 graduation speaker Dr. Danison Emmerson talks with gratitude and pride about his experience at MUA, in particular his clinical rotations at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Oklahoma where he developed his passion for Neurology. “We were treated like mini-interns there, for example scrubbing in and being the first assist on procedures. Many US med school students that I now work with just did not get the same experience in their clinical that I did. I met my mentor at St. Anthonys, and changed my direction from Emergency Medicine to Neurology because of what I learned there.” The clinical rotation experience in Oklahoma was life changing for Danison, as was another event that occurred during these rotations, namely his marriage to fellow MUA student Suong Nguyen.

Prior to the start of his clinical rotations Danison shares that the MUA Clinical Department were there to support their desire to be together “ The MUA Clinical Department worked closely with us to make sure that I was able to do most of my rotations with my girlfriend, now wife. They worked really closely with both us, and not even a question was asked”.

Danison began his medical career at MUA in the Pre-Med program. “The pre-med program primed me well and helped get me settled into the med school life. Nevis is a peaceful island with no distractions, and while there, I knew that my one job was to study. There were no distractions, which really helped. He did his undergraduate work at University of Toronto “where I learned about MUA from a classmate who only had good things to say, particularly when comparing MUA to the massive schools in the Caribbean”.

His current residency in Neurology is 4 years. “It is really a unique program here at University of Connecticut.” As a Neurology resident, you have a unique opportunity to be the specialist and primary team. You see patients in the emergency department, ICU and on the wards. You are involved with every facet of their care. My absolute favorite part is a the critical decision making you as the neurology resident are a cornerstone of; wither it’s a treatment decision for stroke; seizures; Multiple sclerosis; Myasthenia gravis; Gillian Bare. You are the final word in many life-altering situation. It is really an adrenaline rush. It’s why I have developed an interest in the critical care aspect of Neurology”.

As for next steps, he plans to do a one year Stroke Fellowship when his current residency is up, and from there perhaps another Fellowship in Interventional or Critical Care Neurology

Raised in Canadian, Obed decided after high school to come to the United States for college, and enrolled as a scholar/athlete at Northern Arizona University, running track and winning awards at the triple jump.

After later securing a Masters in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the same University, he went on to matriculate at MUA for medical school, choosing MUA because “they had a lot of Canadians, a good match record, and the school was affordable which was important to me. It checked all the boxes.”

Says Obed, “the teachers were phenomenal, and everyone there is really willing to teach and explain. They are patient, and they really listen.” Obed got involved in the life of the school, serving as VP of the Student Government Association and as a Teaching Assistant in Histology, Immunology and Microbiology. “I found it a really close-knit group and had a very positive experience at MUA.”

Obed cites a few of his core and elective rotations that particularly stood out for him, such as his elective Psychiatry rotation at Brentwood Hospital in Louisiana where he worked under the Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and thought long and hard about pursuing this field of medicine.

It was his core rotation though in Internal Medicine at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in NY that was to be the seminal rotation that would set him on the path to his Residency.  “I feel I really went above and beyond there, coming in early and working late. I did some extra credit, doing an additional round with another attending there and then went to clinic. It was in this clinic that I accurately diagnosed a man with breast cancer, and I think this got a lot of notice for me.”

Continues Obed, "There were several attendings at Wyckoff who later told me to apply for Residency there: I did and I matched into a 3 year Internal Medicine Residency.”

As he had at MUA, Oped became part of the community and a leader during his Residency, serving as Chief Student in both the Department of Surgery and the Department of Medicine. He went on to become Chief Resident, and has followed this with a 3 year Fellowship in Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine at Brooklyn Hospital, also in New York”.

When asked about his success he offers these words of advice. “Keep your eye on the prize and forget the negativity. Be the first one there and the last one to leave. Most importantly, do what you are passionate about.”

Karlyle Robinson and Evangelos Bistas were newly dating in Canada when they hit upon the realization that they both wanted to go to med school, and importantly they wanted to do it together.

Says Evangelos, “It was my father who told us about MUA. He was supportive of our decision to go to med school and did a lot of research. He is very intuitive, and thought MUA was the right school. He wanted better for my brother and me, and always put education first for us before all else.” "Both Evangelos and I owe a lot of our success to our parents; they have gone above and beyond to support us."

Karlyle was a scholar and an avid hockey player, earning an academic and athletic scholarship to the top preparatory high schools, Ridley College and then to the University of Windsor before transferring to Brock University after two years where she graduated with honors in Biology. Evangelos graduated at the same time with Honors in Kinesiology from McMaster.

Together they enrolled at MUA, he in the Pre-Med program (“it really helped prepare me and gave me a really solid foundation”) and she in the MED 1 program. They both make note of the fact that having each other made a huge difference…”we really brought each other up”. Along the way, they adopted three cats who provided some calmness from the rigors of academic life.

Currently now in their clinical rotations (she has finished her core rotations and he will be shortly), they both felt well prepared for the USMLE Step One, passing their comp exams on the first try and are confident that they got a really solid foundation from MUA professors and curriculum. Says Karlyle, "I also feel that our Clinical Skills class was really unique and really prepared us well. Now, when I see a patient in my rotation I know what to say and how to progress from one situation to the next. Not all schools offer this clinical skills training.”

Evangelos is getting ready to start his core rotation in Surgery, and Karlyle is putting together her elective schedule to fulfill her dream of becoming a Psychiatrist. “I want to work with veterans who are suffering PTSD. This is really important to me; my father was a police officer for 30+ years and it does take an emotional toll."

Both Evangelos and Karlyle speak glowing of their time at MUA. “MUA provides the opportunity for students like us who have what it takes to be successful in medicine, and perhaps didn’t have it all figured out at 18. We have developed so many quality traits here, including resilience and grit. "Living on an island will do that to you.” There is one more certificate that they both have earned at MUA, and that would be a marriage certificate. Shortly after Karlyle wrote her Step 1 exam they were married, and continue their medical journey together as husband and wife now.

Hear live from MUA Med 3 student Rehan Hamidani

MUA grad Dr. Ahmar Zaidi was a featured speaker at the recent prestigious TEDx event in Detroit November 6. These TEDx speakers are the best and brightest, and are invited to this exclusive event to share their passions and ideas on stage. Congratulations Dr. Zaidi!

Dr. Ahmar U. Zaidi is an opinionated blood doctor at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan where he oversees the care of almost 700 sickle cell patients. He is determined to generate awareness for this debilitating disease by all and any means necessary. His research focuses on using wearable technology and social media to drive care forward for these patients.

MUA Med 4 students Vikram Valia, John Thottungal, Maria Rahman, Chante Smith, Nora Shero and Mohammed Uddin, visiting Alexander Hospital in Nevis. Hospital visits allow students to observe surgeries, internal medicine and obstetric patient cases with a practicing physician. It complements the rigorous clinical science curriculum.

MUA Gateway Program graduate Chandi Patel quote for MUA :  " I just also wanted to say thank you for the opportunity given to me this past May for the Gateway Medical Program. I learned a lot from the program itself and the rigorousness of professional school in general. I feel that the program has well prepared me for medical while giving me the opportunity to adjust to life on the island. The Gateway Program is literally a blessing in disguise.”

How Medicine Became the Stealth Family-Friendly Profession

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/21/upshot/medicine-family-friendly-profession-women.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Nevis Named " Amazing Caribbean Islands to Visit"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/30-amazing-caribbean-islands-to-visit/ss-AAFwvFr?li=BBnbklE#image=11

Nevis

Set off the coast of St. Kitts, Nevis offers a quieter atmosphere with smaller crowds compared to other Caribbean hot spots. This island boasts an array of luxury resorts and fine dining establishments along with unspoiled beaches and natural beauty you come to expect in this part of the world. Nevis is also widely known as the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, whose roots you can explore with a visit to his childhood home.

Junaid Munshi did pre-med coursework as an undergraduate at St. Louis University. Wanting to give back to humanity, and citing the quote in the Quran ‘whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind.’ he settled on a career in medicine. “I wanted to go to work every day and bring goodness to my life by helping others. What I like about medicine is your whole purpose is just to help someone.”

While Junaid came to Nevis, he says he worked hard, made great friends and loved the Nevis beaches. “All the late night studying and stress were 100% worth it”. Doing well in his clinical rotations, Junaid began a residency in Family Medicine at Louisiana State University Medical Center and distinguished himself with the “Resident Teaching Award”, “Research and Scholarly Activity Award” as well as the highest Step 3 score in his residency class.

Currently back in St. Louis as Preceptor at both Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis University School of Medicine. Junaid is thrilled now to be combining his second greatest passion (boxing) with his work as a physician.

“Boxing is my favorite sport, and I have been following it since I was a kid. At every fight, I saw a doctor, and always dreamed of being that doctor.

Certified by the Association of Ringside Physicians in 2018. Junaid has been the doctor in many televised fights on ESPN and DAZN. He has also been the ringside physician for multiple world title fights at the highest level of the sport. “One world title fight in New Orleans really stands out in my mind. A fighter sustained an injury. Due to the magnitude of the fight, there was hesitation to stop the fight. The fighter himself wanted the fight to continue as all fighters do. I intervened though, and stopped the fight knowing that was the right decision to make. The next day the fighter tweeted and thanked me. I knew that I had done the right thing at a crucial point in someone’s life”.

How to Choose Among Caribbean Medical Schools

Most U.S. and Canadian students would like to go to medical school in their home country. But due to very low medical school acceptance rates, many are unable to attend medical school at home. In 2018 -2019, for example, 52,777 applicants vied for only 21,622 seats in U.S. medical schools. In Canada, 13,929 prospective medical students competed for only 2,951 available seats.

Caribbean medical schools are the most popular alternate path to becoming an M.D. in the United States and Canada. There are more than 50 medical schools in the Caribbean – of widely varying quality. How should an interested pre-medical student choose among all these Caribbean medical schools?

External Recognition of Quality – Accreditation and Licensing

It is essential for prospective students to select a Caribbean medical school that will allow them to become licensed to practice medicine in North America. Unless a school is appropriately accredited, graduates of the school can be precluded from medical licensure in the U.S. and/or Canada. At both the federal and state/provincial level, licensing authorities in North America have become increasingly stringent in their assessment of foreign medical schools and their graduates. It is critical that the school you choose is appropriately accredited and recognized.

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certifies which students from foreign schools may take the United States Medical Licensing Exams. Students must take and pass these exams in order to practice medicine in the United States. Beginning in 2023, ECFMG certification is only available to students from schools that are accredited by an accrediting agency that is officially recognized by the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME). Currently, there are only three accrediting agencies working in the Caribbean that are recognized by WFME:

1.         Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (ACCM)

2.         Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO)

3.         Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Health Professionals (CAAM-HP)

Likewise, the U.S. National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA) assesses which foreign countries and their accreditors use standards that are comparable to the standards used to accredit medical schools in the United States. This means that the curriculum, faculty, resources and the schools themselves are held to comparable standards to U.S. medical schools.

Some states in the U.S. independently review the quality of foreign medical schools, and these reviews can affect the ability of foreign medical students/graduates to participate in clinical rotations and/or practice medicine in that state. Currently, there are three states (New York, California and Florida) that independently review foreign medical schools. In 2020, however, California will discontinue its reviews, leaving only New York and Florida as the two states independently reviewing foreign medical schools. Students from unapproved schools cannot participate in any clinical rotations in Florida. In New York, students from unapproved schools cannot earn a residency in the state and can only participate in limited clinical rotations.

It would be unwise and potentially career-limiting to attend a Caribbean medical school whose accreditation is not fully recognized by WFME, NCFMEA, New York and Florida. Currently there are only seven Caribbean medical schools recognized by all of these organizations:

1.         American University of Antigua

2.         American University of the Caribbean

3.         Medical University of the Americas

4.         Ross University

5.         Saba University

6.         St. George’s University

7.         St. Matthew’s University

External Recognition of Quality -- United States Federal Loan Programs

In order for students from Caribbean medical schools to receive U.S. federal loans, the United States Department of Education must assess and approve the quality of the school. The criteria used by the Department of Education include:

1.         Accreditation recognized by NCFMEA

2.         USMLE pass rates of students and graduates

3.         Quality of clinical rotations

Currently, there are only seven Caribbean medical schools that are approved by the Department of Education for participation in the U.S. federal loan programs:

1.         American University of Antigua

2.         American University of the Caribbean

3.         Medical University of the Americas

4.         Ross University

5.         Saba University

6.         St. George’s University

7.         St. Matthew’s University

These are the same seven Caribbean medical schools whose accreditations are recognized by both WFME and NCFMEA, and which are approved by the licensing authorities of both New York and Florida. Among the many Caribbean medical schools, these seven schools stand out as having the external recognition necessary for their students and graduates to practice medicine in the United States and to obtain access to U.S. federal loans. As such, students reviewing Caribbean medical schools should consider limiting their evaluation to these seven schools.

Choosing Among the Caribbean Medical Schools with Sufficient External Recognition of Quality

How should a prospective student choose among the seven Caribbean medical schools that meet the necessary external standards for quality?

These schools vary widely in size and the attendant level of personal attention afforded to students, so students should look for a school that will match their personal preference for learning style. Schools such as St. Matthew’s University strictly limit the size of their incoming cohorts, while others have extraordinarily large class sizes. St. George’s University has had incoming cohorts of nearly 1,000 medical students, while class sizes of greater than 500 medical students are not uncommon at Ross University.

The cost of these schools differ greatly, with some charging more than virtually all US medical schools, and others being much more affordable.

Finally, the settings of the schools are very varied. Some Caribbean countries are poor – often with high crime rates – while other Caribbean islands have all the comforts of home.

What follows is a table of information to help you compare the seven schools across some of these dimensions. For reference, it also includes the data for the median U.S. public medical school.

(1) Four year tuition & fees as of 2018-19. Source: American Association of Medical Colleges, individual school websites 
(2) GDP per capita. Source: United Nations Statistics Division, CIA World Factbook, Statistics Netherlands 
(3) Data unavailable for island of Nevis

Thomas Edison once said that “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to always try just one more time.”This year’s Medical University of the Americas commencement speaker perfectly embodies Mr. Edison’s words. 

Shehahn Soundranayagam is the only child of immigrant parents from Sri Lanka, who came to Canada to flee the civil war. Fascinated as a child by all of the complexities of living things and inspired by Bill Nye the Science Guy, Shehahn thought that medicine would be the best way to both understand the human body and to take part in fixing it.

In pursuit of his dreams, Shehahn studied actuarial science and biology at the University of Toronto as a premedical student. However, based on his academic performance, he did not feel that he was competitive for admission to Canadian medical schools. After completion of his studies, Shehahn started a career in pharmaceutical consulting. Yet his true passions remained unfulfilled.

He quit his pharmaceutical job and decided that he wanted to pursue medicine no matter what. And we at MUA were fortunate to welcome this exceptional student into our medical program.

Today Shehahn is graduating academically as the top performing student in this class. Not only does he have the highest USMLE Step 1 of any student in this graduating class, but he also has two of the highest USMLE scores of all time at MUA and likely is amongst the top scoring of most who have taken the test. But even with his stellar academic performance, he has always remained humble, and is loved by all of his attending physicians, peers, and patients. He demonstrates compassion and empathy in all of his work. He was an exemplary medical student and will be an even more admirable physician.

FB Live with MUA clinical student Arber Frakulli

Most of the hotels on the island are transformed former plantation homes, and the entire infrastructure is eco-friendly.

“I completed my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University in Canada, and then applied to MUA to pursue a Medical Degree.  I chose MUA because of the positive feedback I received from fellow Canadians who were also on the same career path.”

Naveria entered in MUA’s Pre-Med program, which she felt gave her a solid foundation before entering Med 1. “The Pre-Med program was a great opportunity for me to establish efficient study habits and acquire basic medical knowledge.  This gave me a lot of confidence before starting Med 1.  I was also able to build relations early on with upper med students and professors who helped me tremendously throughout my time on the island.”

“My favorite was the anatomy class. All students were given ample time to explore and learn in the lab which was truly a great hands-on experience.” 

 Naveria was particularly struck by the friendliness of the professors, and the fact that they really were involved with the students. “ There were so many external resources available for the students outside the classroom which I really appreciated. I was actually a part of a new one-on-one student tutoring program initiated by my fellow classmate. I got the opportunity to tutor students in Biochemistry who reached out to me for help. It was a humbling and rewarding experience.”

 Once she completed her Basic Sciences work, Naveria started to work on her “Research: Literature Review and Analysis” (RLRA) paper, which was ultimately selected for publication. A unique and integral part of the MUA curriculum, the purpose of the RLRA  is to further develop a student’s ability to evaluate and assimilate scientific evidence.

Her research paper, entitled "Comparative Efficacy of Pharmacological and Nonpharmacological Interventions in Managing Primary and Secondary Outcomes of Fibromyalgia Syndrome” was published in the Michigan State University Medical Student Research Journal.

Says Naveria… “The topic was intriguing to me, and I was drawn to research something that I did not have much knowledge about. It isn’t particularly considered a high-yield topic, but it is very important to know about because you see it numerous times as a clinician”.

Matching into her top choice, Naveria will begin her Residency in Internal Medicine at UPMC Mercy Hospital, in Pittsburgh this June. No doubt her research work will bear fruit in her residency!